The new government set to be sworn in on Sunday is indeed one of “change,” in that it has ousted Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, brought together parties from all across the political spectrum, and included for the first time ever an independent Arab faction.
But whether or not it is a government of “hope” remains to be seen. For half of Israeli voters, pushing Benjamin Netanyahu out of office was not the top political priority. For a far larger percentage of Israelis, political hope is represented by stability, a government that can last a full term and routinely pass a national budget.
A poll now indicates that most Israelis don’t expect the new government to provide that kind of hope.
Conducted by Channel 12 News, the survey shows that a mere 11 percent of Israelis expect the government headed by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid to survive for a full four-year term. Forty-three percent believe the new government will collapse relatively quickly, while 30 percent think it will last a little bit longer, but not a full term.
Less than half of respondents expect Naftali Bennett to honor his agreement with Yair Lapid and hand over the role of prime minister after the first two years. Nearly 30 percent said it’s a moot point since the government will anyway fall before the two-year mark.
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